【By Guan察者网, Yuan Jiaqi】

EU wants to "yield" to the US, continuing to retreat in tariff negotiations. France is not willing to accept it and instead brings up China as a "shield".

According to BFMTV television station and 17 other reports, on Thursday local time, during an event held by the largest employer association in France, "Medef", French Minister of European and Foreign Affairs, Barro emphasized that the EU must maintain a firm stance in trade negotiations with the US.

Barro believes that compromising with Washington would set a "dangerous precedent" and put the credibility of the EU at risk. Then he solemnly warned: "If we remain silent today and allow the US to impose tariffs on the EU, trying to 'avoid the storm', then tomorrow, China will follow suit, and the US will return again to impose tariffs."

This French foreign minister called for the EU to be prepared to retaliate if no agreement is reached before the deadline, showing the "firepower of deterrent tools," "retaliation is for better standing."

He added that Europe does not want to use these tools, but if core economic interests are damaged, the possibility of taking action cannot be ruled out.

Barro also said, "In the short term, safeguarding our interests is crucial; in the long run, maintaining the credibility of the EU is equally important."

Regarding the tariff issue, China has repeatedly emphasized that its position on the tariff issue is consistent and clear. A tariff war and trade war have no winners, and protectionism harms all parties. No matter how the international situation changes, China's door of opening up will only open wider, sharing development opportunities with the world and achieving mutual benefit and win-win results.

According to Anadolu Agency (AA) of Turkey, Barro also raised the "overcapacity theory" at this meeting, making baseless accusations against China for not respecting international trade rules, putting European producers in an "unsustainable" situation.

On June 18, in response to similar remarks from the EU, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that the remarks ignore facts, are full of prejudice and double standards, and China expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition.

China's industrial development relies on continuous technological innovation, a complete supply chain system, adequate market competition, and abundant human resources. It relies on real capabilities, not subsidies. China's new energy capacity has made a significant contribution to global efforts to combat climate change and energy transition. The so-called "overcapacity" is essentially the anxiety of certain countries worried about their competitiveness and market share, intending to use it as an excuse to implement protectionist measures. What is over is anxiety, not capacity.

Photo: French Foreign Minister Barro, French media video screenshot

Last week, US President Trump announced that starting August 1, the US will impose a 30% tariff on products exported from the EU to the US, and said that this tariff is independent of all other industry tariffs, and if EU companies decide to produce or manufacture products in the US, they will be exempt from tariffs.

Trump also threatened that the EU must provide complete market access to the US and not impose retaliatory tariffs. He said, "No matter how many tariffs you choose to raise, we will add the same tariffs on top of 30%."

On July 12 local time, EU Commission President von der Leyen immediately criticized the tariffs disrupting the Atlantic supply chain, stating that she will take all necessary measures to protect her own interests, considering "appropriate countermeasures," but also stated that "she always prioritizes" reaching a solution with the US.

On the same day, French President Macron posted on social media expressing strong dissatisfaction with the US tariffs, stating that France and the EU Commission strongly oppose the US announcement of imposing a 30% tariff on EU exports starting August 1.

He called on the EU Commission to demonstrate a firm determination to defend its own interests. If the EU and the US fail to reach an agreement before August 1, the EU should mobilize all tools, including the anti-coercion mechanism, to accelerate the preparation of "credible countermeasures." France supports the EU Commission in accelerating negotiations with the US to reach an agreement acceptable to both sides before August 1.

According to AFP news agency, on Thursday local time, French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry and Digital Sovereignty, Lombard, said that the tariff negotiations with the US were "extremely difficult."

"These negotiations are still ongoing, but they are very difficult because the proposals we face are not balanced," he said during a visit to the city of Metz in northeastern France. "If the negotiations fail, just as the US imposes high tariffs on us, we must agree with the EU to impose tariffs on US imports to achieve balance. Our ultimate goal is to reduce tariffs as much as possible, as high tariffs are not beneficial to the economy."

He added, "In a world where not everyone follows the rules... we still need to establish protective measures to protect our companies, even though this is not a tradition in Europe."

The EU Commission is advancing the negotiations through Commissioner Schefcovic, who is responsible for trade and economic security, and is still hoping to resolve the issue through negotiation.

In order to reach an agreement with the US, the EU previously postponed its first round of countermeasures to August 6. On July 14, the EU Commission proposed the second round of countermeasures, considering imposing tariffs on American goods worth 72 billion euros (approximately 60.29 billion yuan), including Boeing aircraft, cars and their parts, and bourbon whiskey.

Facing the "tariff stick" waved by Trump, there are different opinions within the EU on whether to retaliate. Bloomberg reported that this countermeasure list is 206 pages long, originally covering 95 billion euros of American goods, but after weeks of consultation with businesses and member states, it was reduced to 72 billion euros.

The European edition of Politico reported on July 17 that the EU Commission is considering a third round of tariff countermeasures, which may involve restricting American services trade and public procurement in the EU.

The report analyzes that the differences between the EU and the US in areas such as automobiles, safety standards, agriculture, and high technology remain significant. Although both sides do not want a full-scale trade war, Trump's confrontational trade policy is continuously increasing the risks. If the situation escalates, the US' huge transatlantic service trade surplus could become a "fatal weakness."

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